Pro surfer Sandy Kerr was among the volunteers who hit Tynemouth’s Longsands Beach today as part of a campaign to clean up the UK’s beaches.

The Barefoot Wine Beach Rescue Project is a nationwide initiative to keep the UK’s beaches ‘barefoot friendly’, fronted by television presenter and avid campaigner for all things environmental, Kate Humble.

Tynemouth is the latest place to benefit from its good work, with more than 50 people coming down to rid the sand of cigarette butts, bits of plastic and other dangerous items that can cause harm to wildlife.

Campaigns and education manager, Dom Ferris, said: “It’s been great today, we’ve had people from all walks of life come down and support the cause by collecting rubbish.

“There are a lot of small bits of plastic which looks like food pellets and can be very harmful to gulls and other seabirds. Once people know what they’re looking for they can’t stop finding them.

“It’s a beautiful day, the beach is really full and this whole thing gives people the chance to give back to the beach they enjoy.”

The amount of marine waste on beaches is increasing every year. Mr Ferris estimated there were around 5,000 pieces on Longsands alone.

This year’s campaign is now more important than ever – recent storms have not only caused flooding in some regions, but also an increased level of sewage discharge and coastal erosion.

Marine litter causes a reduction in fish and marine mammal populations, but the project is helping communities to pull together and tackle the vast amount of sewage-related debris that covers British shores.

“For us, it’s about collecting the litter that’s already there on beaches, but also raising awareness of the overall problem,” said Mr Ferris.

“We’re taking action to put pressure on the government and try and get them to get marine litter on beaches stopped at the source.”

Surfers Against Sewage (SAS), a charity which champions the protection of the UK’s water and beaches, has teamed up with Barefoot Wine on the project.

Barefoot Wine campaign ambassador, Kate Humble, said: “We are extremely lucky to have such beautiful beaches in our country - it’s only right we do what we can to create coastal communities that exist in harmony with nature. I have always been passionate about the environment.”